Ear cleaning instrument



Sept. 25, 1951 J. M. HALL 2,569,237

EAR CLEANING INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 28, 1950 fig- 4- 2O '9 IBX fig. 5.

IN VEN TOR.

' v JOHN M. HALL.

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 25, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EAR CLEANING INSTRUMENT John M. Hall, New York, N. Y. Application February 28, 1950, Serial No. 146,709

Claims. 1

This invention relates to ear cleaning instruments and pertains particularly to ear cleaning instruments of Wire construction. 7

One object of the present invention is to provide an ear cleaning instrument of a one-piece wire construction which includes a portion insertable into an ear cavity or passage for cleaning purposes and a grasping portion whereby the whole construction may be held for manipulating the cleaning portion.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ear cleaning instrument including a one-piece wire construction having an ear cleaning portion and resilient end portions, and an instrument grasping element for fitting slidably over said end portions and being thereby held extensibly and frictionally on said construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in an ear cleaning instrument including a one-piece wire construction having a cleaning portion and resilient end portions, and a grasping element fitted on said end portions, means whereby said grasping element may be detentedly extended on said resilient end portions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in an ear cleaning instrument having an elongated wire looped portion adapted for insertion into an ear cavity, a magnetic element slidingly and retainedly carried between the sides of the looped portion and thereby positionable selectively with respect to the end of said looped portion for assisting in the extraction of steel or like foreign obstructions from ear passages.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide ear cleaning instruments of one-piece stainless steel wire constructions which may include ear cleaning portions of varied size, each size being adapted for insertion in and the cleaning of a particular size ear passage.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the embodiment of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of a modification of the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of another modification of the first embodiment.

piece wire instrument l0.

'fants.

are included squared portions Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of still another modification of the first embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the lines Fig. 11 is a front elevational view of a modification of the third embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a front elevational view of another modification of the third embodiment.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary and broken jaway view illustrating the interior of the grasping element seen in Fig. 12.

With reference to the drawings in more detail, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that one form of the invention may be of a one- Said instrument is preferably of stainless steel but may be of any like material and is configured to provide an elongated looped portion l I having parallelly extending coplanar side portions l2 which continue into opposed arcuately bent grasping portions l3, and coplanar end portions l4 formed off said grasping portions and bent as to be directed inwardly and convergently toward said looped portion I I. The just described form is provided for the cleaning of small ear passages, such as in- The looped portion II is adapted for insertion into the ear cavity or passage and for getting behind and extracting ear obstructions, such as wax globules, etc. The grasping portions l3 and the additional grasping substance provided by end portions Ml permit the instrument to be manipulated freely. This device is preferably made of magnetized metal to be able to pick up metallic substances.

In Fig. 3 is shown a modification of the just described form or embodiment which provides an instrument I5 including a looped portion ll, parallel side portions I2, arcuate grasping portions l3, and inwardly and convergently directed end portions M. In this modification, however, l6 which are formed between the arcuate and the end portions. This inclusion of squared portions renders that part of the instrument which is adapted to be grasped somewhat larger and thereby facilitates the manipulation of the instrument as a whole. This device is also magnetized.

A somewhat larger instrument I'I, adapted for older child use, is seen in Fig. 4 and is configured to provide also a looped cleaning portion I I and parallelly extending coplanar side portions I2. The configuration of the present instrument differs, however, in that it includes shoulder portion I8, parallelly extending coplanar grasping portions I9 coextensive with said side portions, and inwardly and convergently directed coplanar end portions 20. As in the above described modification, the end portions herein also provide more grasping substance between said grasping portions. The modification of Fig. 5, being somewhat larger than those previously described, is adapted particularly for adult use, and provides an instrument 2| similar to that seen in Fig. 4 but differing therefrom in that it provides grasping loops 22, which also add to the grasping substance of the instrument and thereby facilitates the manipulation thereof.

The modification of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 includes a one-piece wire instrument 23 having a looped portion I I, parallel side portions I2, shoulder portions I8, parallel grasping portions I9, inwardly directed end portions 29, and squared portions I6; and a magnet or magnetic element 25. Said magnetic element, as seen better in Fig. '7, is of the horseshoe variety and includes on the opposed sides thereof longitudinal grooves 26. Said grooves permit the magnet to be retained slidingly between the parallel side portions I2, and further permit said magnet to be positionable selectively relative to the end of the looped portion I I, as seen in dot and dash lines. This arrangement is provided for removing steel or like foreign objects from ear passages and is adapted for sliding the magnet 25 to a rear-ward inefiective position when the instrument is to be used for cleaning ear passages of ordinary obstruction, such as wax.

Now, as seen in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, a third embodiment of the invention includes a wire instrument 2'! having a looped portion II, parallel and coplanar side portions I2, shoulders I3, resilient portions 28, and inwardly directed tips 29; and a flat grasping element 30 having a flat elongated cavity or recess 3!. In this arrangement the resilient portions 28 of the wire instrument are fitted into the said recess 3| of the grasping element 3E], and the resilience thereof maintains the instrument in association with the element 39 while also permitting it to be slidingly extensible therefrom.

A magnet Gi is also included within the grasping element 30. This magnet 36 also serves to securely hold the resilient portions 23 within the grasping element 30.

A modification of the just described embodiment is seen in Fig. 11 and is similar thereto in that it too includes a grasping element 30 having a recess 3!. It differs, however, in that the instrument 32 hereof includes a cross portion 33 interconnecting the portions 28, and therefore is press fitted into the recess 3| of the grasping element 38. Also, the present arrangement includes a magnetic element 25 which was hereinbefore described.

Another modification is seen in Figs. 12 and 13 and provides a grasping element 35 which, like the element 38, includes a flat recess 3I, but also has detent teeth 36 formed in the side edges of said recess BI; and a modified wire instrument 3? including a looped portion II, parallel side portions I2, shoulder portions I8, resilient portions 28, and outwardly extending tips 38. Said resilient portions 28 are adapted to be squeezed together and inserted in the recess 3| and the tips 38 thereon are adapted, when said resilient portions are released, to cooperate selectively with said detent teeth 36 according to the desired degree of extension of said wire instrument 31. The present arrangement also includes a magnetic element 25 which need not be again described.

The said magnetic element 25 is of such construction that it is equally applicable to any of the hereinabove described wire instruments.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An ear cleaning instrument comprising a one-piece wire construction configured to pro vide an elongated looped cleaning portion, the ends of said looped portions being bent to pro vide parallel grasping portions, the ends of said grasping portions being directed inwardly and toward the said cleaning portion, whereby more grasping substance is provided between said grasping portions, and a magnetic element carried in said looped portion and being slidingly positionable selectively relative to the end thereof.

2. An ear cleaning instrument of a one-piece wire construction comprising, an elongated looped cleaning portion having parallelly extending c0- planar sides, parallel grasping portions at the ends of said sides and being coplanar therewith, coplanar end portions of said grasping portions being directed inwardly and convergently toward the said cleaning portion, whereby more grasping substance is provided between said grasping portions, and a magnetic element having opposed grooved sides and thereby retained between said parallelly extending arms for being slidingly and selectively positionable relative to the end of the said looped cleaning portion.

3. An ear cleaning instrument, comprising a continuous loop of wire bent to provide parallelly extending side portions, said side portions continuing into spaced parallel grasping portions on the same plane as said side portions, said grasping portions continuing remote from said side portions into an inwardly directed portion disposed centrally between said grasping portions for adding substance to said grasping portions, and a magnet disposed between said side portions, said magnet having grooves in its sides in which said side portions are engaged for frictionally maintaining said magnet in desired shifted positions between said side portions.

4. An ear cleaning instrument, comprising a continuous loop of wire bent to provide parallelly extending side portions, said side portions continuing into spaced parallel grasping portions on the same plane as said side portions, said grasping portions continuing remote from said side portions into an inwardly directed portion disposed centrally between said grasping portions for adding substance to said grasping portions, and a magnet disposed between said side portions, said magnet having grooves in its sides shifted positions between said side portions, said magnet being of horseshoe shape with the face ends of the side arms of said magnet extended toward the ends of said side portions remote from said grasping portions.

5. An ear cleaning instrument comprising a continuous loop of wire bent to provide parallelly extending side portions, said side portions continuing into spaced parallel grasping portions on the same plane as said side portions, said grasping portions continuing remote from said side portions into an inwardly directed portion disposed centrally between said grasping portions for adding substance to said grasping portions, said inwardly directed portion being on 15 the same plane with said grasping portions and the junction of said grasping portions with said inwardly directed portion being flattened to extend at right angles to said grasping portion.

JOHN M. HALL.

REFERENCES CITED The, following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 1,628,275 Robinson May 10, 1927 1,737,106 Campbell et a1. Nov. 26, 1929 1,887,003 Adams Nov. 8, 1932 2,331,732 Ryzmek Oct. 12, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 617,587 France Nov. 22, 1926 

